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Review: Joe Bonamassa rocks the blues hard on 'Redemption'

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Review: Joe Bonamassa rocks the blues hard on 'Redemption'
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Review: Joe Bonamassa rocks the blues hard on 'Redemption'

2018-09-22 05:19 Last Updated At:10:51

Joe Bonamassa, "Redemption" (J&R Adventures)

There are a few months left in the year, so though "Redemption" is his third album of 2018 — after a strong collaboration with Beth Hart and a double live album of covers of tunes by British legends like Eric Clapton, Cream, Jeff Beck and Led Zeppelin — it's possible Joe Bonamassa still has a release or two in his bag.

Should he end his annual output here, however, Bonamassa will be going out in style. "Redemption" displays his customary diversity of blues-rock forms and his superior six-string chops, but the album also rocks a little harder, is enhanced by a lively horn section and even shows some vulnerability.

Without getting too specific, Bonamassa has talked about going through an unexpected rough patch. Song titles include "Evil Mama," ''Deep In the Blues Again" and "Self-Inflicted Wounds," and he even sings the line, "She gave me grief/And a whole lot of blues." Another lyric focuses on causing pain after hooking up with a face in the crowd. It's not hard to guess the story line.

Making room for a pair of guitarists to join him on a few songs may also be part of the redemptive process, or maybe it's the noticeable effort to add some deeper soul to his vocals, but Bonamassa sounds closer to a man who's diagnosed his blues and has the cure at hand than one who's letting it all get him down.

You won't hear anyone credit — or blame— Bonamassa with reinventing the wheel but, by recalibrating his skills, "Redemption" rolls along with enough power and panache to stand as one of the most convincing vehicles of his musical vision.

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2024-04-23 19:47 Last Updated At:20:02

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TRUMP TRIAL OPENING-AP EXPLAINS — Opening statements in Donald Trump’s hush money trial set the stage for weeks of testimony about the former president’s personal life and places his legal troubles at the center of his closely contested campaign against President Joe Biden. An AP reporter debrief. Newsroom Ready and Consumer Ready edits.

BIDEN-EARTH DAY — President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving households in low- and middle-income communities — while blasting Republicans who want to gut his policies to address climate change. Newsroom Ready and Consumer Ready edits.

President Joe Biden campaigns in Tampa, Florida. Events at 3 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.

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BIDEN-EARTH DAY — President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities — while criticizing Republicans who want to gut his policies to address climate change. SENT: 860 words, photos.

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Former president Donald Trump, center, awaits the start of proceedings at Manhattan criminal court, Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York. Opening statements in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial are set to begin. Trump is accused of falsifying internal business records as part of an alleged scheme to bury stories he thought might hurt his presidential campaign in 2016. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool)

Former president Donald Trump, center, awaits the start of proceedings at Manhattan criminal court, Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York. Opening statements in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial are set to begin. Trump is accused of falsifying internal business records as part of an alleged scheme to bury stories he thought might hurt his presidential campaign in 2016. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool)

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